Ishida Hanzo
Ishida Hanzo (born Adam Mc Kinney) is a revered, yet maverick and unconventional Yamabushi. He was Deshi to Yashio Doshin Hiroshi, and is mentor to Xantos. Ishida often places himself in conflict with the High Council. He is deeply attuned to Ki, which contributes to his frequent taking side trips to help those in need. Despite his opposition to the Council, he is regarded by many Yamabushi as sharp-witted and for possessing great wisdom. Ishida has served the order for thirteen years, participating in action in Korea and most famously during the Akki Crisis in Brazil. It was Ishida who discovered the Semegu in Brazil during this crisis and was largely responsible for completing Seinei-Jinga temple, and training initiates. At a very early age, he was taken by the Akuso master Shimada Kai to be trained in the ways of Akki. During his training, any show of fear was severely punished, and any hint of mercy rewarded with cruelty.By the time Ishida was eight, his master had come close to forging him into a weapon of pure hatred. He had a sense of honor, however, which helped bring about his redemption. Ishida had filial feelings toward his master, and never once contemplated killing him— until after his final test. Ishida’s last mission as a Akuso Oshiego (disciple/initiate) was the assassination of Saito Issen One of the greatest living Yamabushi warriors, Saito had many decades ago gone into seclusion, renouncing the katana to concentrate on starting a Temple. He in Ireland, not far from Ishida. After tracking Saito using Akki —and killing Soji Okita, an Initiate who got in the way— he engaged the Yamabushi Karo. Isida showed his true mastery of the kata (sword techniques). A long and intense battle ensued, with Saito on the defensive, Ishida steering the battle to a location of his choice. Drawing the Yamabushi out of the main hall. Ishida delivered a flurry of attacks and drove Saito along the corridors into the platform hall. Ishida engaged him on the high platforms. He kicked out at Saito only to be knocked down himself. As Saito leaped down to deliver the killing blow, Ishida kicked him in the face and quickly righted himself. Ishida immediately attacked Saito driving him to the edge of the hall. However, In the confined space of the corner Saito, was unable to adequately counter-attack, and Ishida eventually impaled him in the stomach. Filled with remorse at the killing, Ishida threw aside his katana, Yamaraashi, mountain storm. After his return from his mission, Ishida had in fact passed his final test as a Oshiego. Shimada proclaimed him Akuinakka, a Gennin of the Akuso. Shimada then presented him with the blade belonging to Niimi Nishiki, Shinibana, now intended that Ishida should use it—much as Niimi had—to be a bane to the Yamabushi. News of Saito's death soon reached the ears of the council and the renowned Yamabushi, Yashio Doshin Hiroshi, long time friend of the ancient Saito, decided to investigate. Sensing the Yamabushi's presence, Shimada dispatced Ishida and an Akuso Chunin named Tani Sanjuno. However, Ishida was unable to kill Yashio. Before Yashio's eyes, Ishida dueled with his former companion, and killed him. During their situation with Tani, Yashio, impressed by what he saw, discovered Ishida's true potential, and took him as his Deshi. Together the two Yamabushi engaged the Akuso Master Shimada. The duel was frenzied and brutal, moving through the halls of Shimada's academy. Ishida was knoced across the hall by a burst of energy, and Yashio was to fight alone. While his Deshi rushed to catch up, Shimada and Yashio moved on, passing through the training rooms. Yashio used his Ki to send a rack of weapons toward Shimada. Shimada was forced to take cover behind the rooms metal doors, briefly separating the combatants. Yashio took advantage of the break in the duel to crouch down and meditate, bringing himself in full tune with his Ki. When Shimada emerged from hiding, Yashio immediately attacked Shimada while Ishida rushed to help his new master. Shimada was one of the best duelists from either order, wielding his double bladed staff with energetic acrobatics and multi-angular bladework. As they continued to duel Shimada, it became clear he outmatched them in blade-to-blade combat. But the katana skills of the two Yamabushi had begun to wear down the ancient Akuso's defenses, catching him off guard. Shimada had initially been toying with them, but he quickly readjusted his tactics for a more serious confrontation. Yashio soon succeeded in slicing the Akuso's double-bladed staff in half, then striking the Akuso down. The two staff halfs were taken by Yashio and are now stored in the vault of Seinei-Jingu Temple. There, in the Akuso Academy, Yashio took the young Gennin as his Deshi, bestowing on him the new, Yamabushi name, Yashio Hanzo. The duel was watched, unknown to the combatants, by Todo Heisuke, a Chunin, Ishida's closest friend, and former apprentice to Shimada. The pain of his loss combined with the betrayl of his best friend, strenghtened his conection with Akki. He took control of the Temple once held by his Master. Todo Heisuke, now calling himself Kurokage (black shadow), kept Shimada's old To, Akaiittou (red blade), as a memento of the good times with his mentor, and developed a true, undying hatred of the Yamabushi, swearing to avenge his fallen mentor. He promoted himself to the rank Jonin. For four years, They went on numerous missions across the Ishida's home country, attempting to bring an end to the damage already wrought by Shimada's Chunin. On one notable mission, the two went deep into the mountains to track a Hakaisou. However, during the three month hunt, Ishida became involved with a girl, Chloe. It was his first brush with romance, and he found it difficult to be human. The Akuso instincts still ran through his blood. forcing him to keep constantly on his guard around her. Her father turned out to be, Vincent Campbell with whom Yashio was once friends. The two older men hunted the rogue while Ishida spent his time with Chloe. After a short confrontation between Yashio, Ishida and the Hakaisou, and his defeat at the hands of the Yamabushi, the two monks left the mountains. Ishida never saw Chloe again. Some time following this assignment, Ishida attended High School. It was there the character he is known for was tested and forged. It was in school, where he would meet Kim Jones. Speaking on record in 2008, Ishida desccibed their meeting; "It was the third week of school when we met. I was sitting alone in the corner of the lunch room (cafeteria), as far away as possible from everyone else. She sat with her friends at the table across the room for me. We caught eyes briefly, and i smiled, before i turned my eyes back to the archaic scroll i was reading. i could hear her whisper about me, trying to know who i was. she listened with disbelief at the rumors already being told. she looked back in my direction and smiled. I beconed her over and we sat together and talked..." It was to be a defining moment in his life. It was not long before the two lost their inhibitions. Both seemed entranced with the other despite their different beliefs and ideals. However, Kim eventually came to her senses, while Ishida was concerned with his feelings and living in the present moment—even suggesting they could keep their relationship a secret—Kim was more concerned with his duty and obligations. His infatuation became a weakness, one that Kurogage would exploit. Kurokage pursued Ishida, tirelessly and with passion, desiring to revenge himself on his former friend. How he found out about Kim, no one truly knows, but he used it against Ishida. He took Kim prisoner, taking her to his new academy, in the Maamturk mountains, a place Ishida would return again and again. Against the better advice of his Master, he foolishly tracked and charged the now Jonin. with Nakamura Hanjiro, another Yamabushi. It was the Deshi's undoing: Kurogage unleashed a powerful barrage of Akki bolts on Ishida, knocking the youth unconscious and leaving Nakamura to face Kurokage alone. Nakamura put up a valiant fight, however his skills proved no match for the more powerful and experienced Kurokage, and he was soon incapacitated. As Ishida recovered from the Akki bolts, he witnessed Kurokage raising his sword to deliver the final blow against the fallen Nakamura. Ishida, calling upon his Ki, leapt into the path of Kurokage's to, blocking it with his katana, saving Nakamura's life in the process. Taking up his fallen friend's weapon, Ishida unleashed a flurry of attacks, which caught Kurokage off guard at first. However, the Akuso eventually managed to break Nakamura's blade, leaving Ishida with only Shinibana. At that point, Kurokage's greater practice and experience with both sword and Ambu allowed him to regain the upper hand, and, despite holding his own for much of the duel, Ishida lost the battle to Kurokage, dropping Shinibana to the ground. Kurokage picked up the fallen blade and struck down Nakamura, before thrusting the blades tip into Ishida's groin. But one last Yamabushi parried the blow, shattering the blade, leaving shards in Ishada's groin: Yashio. Kurokage attempted to defeat the powerful Master with a combination of Akki bolts and kata. The two engaged in a fierce duel. Yashio, using his mastery of Ki and showing great ability with the katana, easily pushed the Jonin back. Realizing that Yashio was too powerful to be defeated, Kurokage used Akki to topple a column towards the wounded Ishida in an effort to distract Yashio. As the Yamabusi Master broke off the duel to save the his Deshi, Kurokage made his escape. After being rescued by Yashio, Ishida and Kim were transported back to the Seinei-jingu Temple for healing. It was there, as Ishida lay in bed, his wound healed as best as they could, he and Kim broke up, knowing it was for the best. She returned the necklace he'd given her, one he continued to wear for a long time. The wound continues to trouble him. A year after the duel with Korukage, Yashio and Ishida were sent to the Amazon rainforest in Brazil, where Okada Iso an Akuso Jonin, and the last surviving member of the Kyu Meiyuu, had supposably inslaved a group of the local Awa Tribe, and build a Temple to Akki. The Temple was located on a river bank and was guarded by statues of the fallen Kyu Meiyuu; long after the downfall of the cult, It was to serve as a battlefield for Yashio and his Deshi. The Temple was inhabited by Okada Iso, an apostate who rejected Shimada's reign as Kage and founded the Hakairyoku belief. The Temple served as the headquarters of the Acolytes of this order, who believed Fujiwara Hachiro a god. In the Temple, Okada enslaved the local tribe, terrifying them with his abilities of wielding Ambu. The Temple served as an elementary training ground for many of the Okada's servants, and where they bound themselves to serving Fujiwara in his death. It was there, that Okada, much like his master, locked himself away to focus and study Ambu in greater detail. he had spent the last hundred years gathering Fujiwara's relics, but had only retrieved one, the Semegu. Ishida and Yashio, armed only with their katana and wakazachi (Ishida now armed with the famous Inazuma and Korou No Tatsu), stormed the Temple, supported by the locals. They defeated Okada's Acolytes and faced Okada himself in his meditation room. Armed with an otachi (an ancient long sword) he dueled the Yamabushi. The ensuing duel was short-lived, and for much of it Okada and the Yamabushi remained evenly matched, with neither able to gain an advantage over the other. However, Okada's sword was too large to wield in the tight corners of the meditation room, and soon, the last member of the Kyu Meiyuu was slain. Not long after the destruction of the Ambu Temple, and the seizing of the Semegu, Ishida was sent on a mission to North Korea, accompanied by Kato Ujio, a Sohei recently promoted to the rank of Gokenin, and Takeda Isami, a Yamabushi exile. They were sent to protect Rebecca Fey, a young girl who had accidentally incured the Akuso's wrath. At the last possible moment, they saved her from being massacred, then led her through the forests. However, they were being hunted. Their advisary, Korukage. Leading the group into a small forest village, Ishida stumbled upon Vallen Chow, a young boy who showed tremendous Ki potential. Ishida decided that the boy should be trained, and while Takeda and Kato were also amazed by Vallen's strong Ki potential, they initially disagreed with his decision; they believed, as the High Council would later concur, that the boy was already too old and had acquired too many emotional attachments to become a Yamabushi. In response to the any refusal to allow the boy to be trained, Ishida declared that he himself would take Vallen as an Initiate. The Code forbade a Deshi to have a Deshi of his own. Eventually Kurokage caught up with the Yamabushi, just as they were crossing a thin bamboo bridge. Making Takeda, Kato, Vallen and Rebecca run ahead, Ishida engaged Kurokage before his plans went into effect. Forced to fight his long time rival, Ishida engaged the misguided Akuso in a duel on the bridge. Ishida won the duel when he destroyed the bridge, plunging them both down a precipice. Ishida, badly wounded, struggled through the forest, meeting his companions at the boat. When they returned to Japan, The Council had been impressed that Ishida bested an Akuso Jonin unaided. Ishida was made a full Yamabushi, his duel with Korukage serving as his Trials. Vallen Chow, now named Xantos, was formally placed under the tutelage of Kenobi as an Initiate. Ishida, now a koshogumi, had returned to Ireland to head the Council of Seinei-Jingu Temple, and to lead the effort of finishing the Temple building. While overseeing construction, and the recruitment of new Initiates, Ishida was made to attend College. There he would meet his first, true love, Ciara Flannery. Their romance was truly blessed, He had a powerful infatuation with her. In conversation accidently revealing his affection for her, is hopes, his dreams. Over a short time, their infatuation blossomed into something more: love. It was at Ciara's rented house, 12 St. Lelia St. they gave in to their feelings. Both were hoplessly entranced with the other. Soon they moved into the Temple's house for its Head Council, 12 Wickham St. It was there that their love would be tested. Kurokage, having survived the fall, had hunted once more his rival. Once more having build a new Academy in secret, he sent twenty of his best pupils to attack Ishida and Ciara. Armed only with his swords, and a rifle, Ishida charged the Akuso, slaughtering them to a man. The stress caused by the attack is believed to have been the reason behind Ciara breaking his heart by leaving him. After the attack Ciara was terrified to be apart from Ishida, fearing so much to go into the kitchen alone. They loved one another, and scarcly a month after the attack, they were engaged. Knowing Ciara to still be anxious about the Akuso, Ishida sent her and a friend to America on holiday. He was never to see her again. Fearing she was about to leave him after a vision, he was consumed by fear and pain. As a month became two, then three, his vision was realized. One month before their anniversary, Ishida, backpack on his shoulder, made the four hour walk in the rain to her parents house. He had never been there before, never even seen the town. He rlied solely on Ki to find her. He took the fields and forests tj]o get to her, trusting them more than the roads. When he arrived at the house, she would not talk to him, they were finished. He was heartbroken as he made the long way back, his leg was in agony, not till a few days later did he realise it would be irepairably damaged forever. For months after Ciara left, he was distant, a broken defeated soul. His Master's preminition, that he would only have two loves in his life came back to haunt him. Was Ciara it? He had lost the will to live. Then, in Feburary 2010, 8 months after Ciara left, Sarah a close college friend of Ishida's rang him to invite him to dinner in a resteraunt. He reluctantly consented. It was there, at the table near the door, he met Julie. She was by all accounts the image of Ciara, but her hair was red and her eyes green. Ishida was smitten. They began to talk and hit it off very quick. A few days later they were all to meet up again, this time in Sarah's house and with Richard, Ishida's best friend. They went for food that night to a small diner near Sarah's house, the cars being full, Ishida and Julie said they would walk back. Instead, they came into the city, went to another diner for milkshakes and ice cream, then went back to Ishida's house. There, surrounded by artifacts, Julie figured out what Ishida was, a Yamabushi, and fell in love with him. The only problem was, she had a boyfriend, Dave. But, as their relationship was long distance, she choose to keep seeing Ishida. During their awkward courtship, Ishida sensed a tremor in Ki. He knew it could be only one thing, Kurokage had taken a Genin. Soon Ishida was hearing reports of attacks and murders, and he had to investigate. Julie begged him not to go, she cried and pleaded, said she couldnt live without him, but Ishida knew he had to go. When the Yamabushi found the Akuso Genin, Ikiryo, in Belfast, he insisted that Ishida would pay for Shimada's death. he tried to convince Ikiryo to leave his Master and abandon the way of Akki, but failed. Ikiryo angrily attempted to kill Ishida with Akki bolts, revealing to the Yamabushi that he alone had killed the innocent people. Ishida engaged him with his katana, and he fought the Akuso in a vicious duel. He knocked aside Ikiryo's to and reluctantly cut him down. Ishida returned from the battle a little shaken. Still, he put it out of his mind and relaxed with Julie. Soon however, she was to ring him, horribly distressed about not being able to be parted from him; "I cant do it, there's always going to be feelings there. i love you. im sorry", before she slit her wrist. Her death drained the last hopes of Ishida, days after he sat by her side as she breathed her last, he returned to Japan to stand trial for endagerment. The punishment would be seppuku, ritual suicide. Ishida blamed himself for her death and stated he should be punished for his failure, however after Yashio Doshin Hiroshi's passionate defence of his former Deshi, Ishida was aquitted. His life soon fell apart around him, and he was soon reduced to living on the streets of Galway. For three months he lived on the streets, before he was tracked by Xantos and forced to return to the Temple. He remained a broken, fallen hero until love once more entered his life. To what extent it has changed him is unknown, but it is known that Ishida Hanzo is a hero once more.